Compromise possible in Cleveland fare-jumper issue

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s mass transit agency has reached a possible compromise on handling people who don’t pay their fare.

Riders age 18 or older who don’t have tickets on the HealthLine bus route or Red Line commuter train would face a $25 fine, half the earlier proposal.

According to The Plain Dealer, if a rider does not pay in three days, the ticket would be treated as a misdemeanor with fines of $150 or more.

Civil-rights groups say 90 percent of citations issued to HealthLine riders in August 2010 went to blacks. The agency denies discrimination and says the line travels through largely black neighborhoods.

Atty. James Hardiman, a civil-rights lawyer, says the lower fine is a step in the right direction.